A Line in the Sand: The Alamo in Blood and Memory

I was assigned to read this in a Texas history class at UT Arlington. So I expected it to be the typical politically correct, leftist, white-bashing I'd grown so accustomed to. I was pleasantly surprised. This book is honest and fair with all sides. It's what historians should strive for because it doesn't take sides. Roberts goes after truth, no matter who gets offended. And yes, sometimes that's the Mexicans. I was shocked to learn all about how Col. Travis abandoned his family, but I was impressed by his courage to the end. Now I feel certain that Santa Ana is the worst thing that ever happened to Mexico. And some of his generals were skilful enough to have won the war and honorable enough to have not executed Texas POWs. I highly recommend the book for anyone who wants to understand this major piece of American history.

I tend to read a lot of historical nonfiction, and much of it seems to range from either well-intentioned but amateurish to, worse, underresearched to support a (not-so-well-) hidden agenda. On the other hand, this book is exceedingly well-researched and well-written, and caught me up in a reading frenzy like none since Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage." The first half of "A Line in the Sand" covers the events leading up to the fight at the Alamo in 1836 from both Mexican and Anglo perspectives, and paints both sides in a fairly honest and unsentimental light. It also does the two thing all nonfiction should do: It doesn't play favorites, telling both sides of the story with journalistic integrity, and it shows the event to be what most similar events inevitably are: a collision of ideals, fate, timing and personalities. Concentrating first on what happened immediately following the battle, through the hagiographic treatment of Crockett, Bowie and Travis, and finally to the view of these men and their actions in 1999, the latter half of the book shows, with a surprising yet believable spin, that a combination of the Cold War, Walt Disney's politics, John Wayne's patriotism and increasing multiculturalism have caused people to view this hourlong battle as everything from a defining moment in American history (even though Texas wasn't IN America at that point) to an attempt by Bowie, Travis and others to preserve slavery and racism. Compelling and very enjoyable book.

This book is like a recipe for goulash; you just throw everything in it and see how it turns out. Actually, it's a very good book, although it tends to be overwritten in places and there are one or two incorrect dates. It gives a concise history of Mexico in the early part of the 19th century leading up to the Texas War for Independence, and what followed. Everything is presented quite clearly, and you can understand how things happened, and why they happened. The actual Alamo seige and battle pass fairly quickly, because that's how it was in reality. I found the later history extremely interesting, and combining LBJ's father, Walt Disney, John Wayne, and numerous others in the story was an excellent decision on the part of the authors. I'm of the generation raised on Davy Crockett, and my friends and I recreated the Alamo battle countless times on the cinderblock wall in my back yard, each of us taking turns as Davy. If nothing else, Disney's film of Crockett's life awakened in me the idea of history as something interesting, and worth studying. I've done that ever since, and the authors show that the Alamo is ingrained in our national consciousness because of Uncle Walt primarily, and also John Wayne's movie, which I vividly remember seeing as a young teenager. To those of a new generation, who don't have those memories of the Alamo films, this book is well worth reading, and I highly recommend it.

This book serves as an excellent overview of the events leading up to the Alamo, and it provides an equally good history of the controversies that have arisen since then. As other reviewers have noted, this won't answer all the questions; it's not a minute-by-minute account, and it doesn't end with the events of March 6, 1836. On the other hand, that's not the purpose of the book. Roberts and Olson provide a balanced look at some of the most emotionally charged controversies, giving several accounts of Crockett's death (they seem to side with de la Pena's) and helping the reader to weigh the evidence. The only thing that's missing is a map or two. Alamo buffs may know the exact distances and locations from Goliad to San Antonio to San Jacinto, the layout of the Alamo in 1836, and so forth, but maps of both would be helpful.

"Roberts and Olson do a commendable job of re-creating the murky circumstances of the battle itself, but the real strength of this enjoyable, innovative book lies in its final movement, when the authors turn their attention to cultural criticism.... the Alamo became a highly contested symbolic property, and Crockett... went from relative obscurity to patriotic legend." --THE NEW YORKER"A swift and savvy journey through 164 years of Alamo history-from lines in the sand to lines at the gift shop.... an impressive, engaging analysis of one of the most politically charged events in American history." --KIRKUS REVIEWS"What does A LINE IN THE SAND: THE ALAMO IN BLOOD AND MEMORY have to add TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF Texas history? Plenty. Their retelling of the familiar story sets up the rest of their scholarly work: a rare overview of historic Alamo controversies and a thorough examination of the reasons why the Shrine of Texas Liberty has been elevated to the status of a worldwide icon." --SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS"Roberts and Olson, who previously collaborated on JOHN WAYNE: AMERICAN, do a meticulous job in bringing this momentous battle to life and in creatively exploring its impact on our culture and collective memory.... it is both good and timely to have this book." --NATIONAL REVIEW"Yes, we need this new Alamo study.... an analytical book for the general public and scholars alike." --THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE